Posts tagged environment

What is the first step you can take to green living? Getting rid of incandescent light bulbs! According to a recent survey completed by a lighting company, 74 percent of the respondents now use compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs, which is a huge step to green living! Changing bulbs to energy-efficient models is one of the simplest green changes you can make to your home, and the CFLs save you loads of money by using less energy and lasting longer. LEDs, which are even more energy-efficient bulbs, are used in 12 percent of the respondents’ homes.

Because Congress might pass a law that would ban incandescent bulbs by 2014, why not get a head start on switching them out now? Of those in the study who do not have CFLs or LEDs in their homes yet, 71 percent plan on purchasing them in the near future. If everyone were to participate in this movement, it would save a significant amount of energy and money being spent in households. According to the National Wildlife Federation, each CFL prevents 350 pounds of coal from being burned at power plants during its lifetime. That’s a lot of pollutants that are not being released into the air we breathe!

If you’re looking for the first step to green living, here it is. Replace your bulbs. The other steps can come later, when you’re ready.

Okay, let’s talk reality. We at Buy Owner are always talking to you about how to live a greener, more eco-friendly life in your house. This interests home sellers who are looking for an advantage over other sellers, and it interests home buyers who are looking for energy-saving, money-saving elements in a new house. But when it comes down to it, do you know how much our environment benefits from green living?

Most don’t. To put green living into perspective, here is a list of actual numbers from HomeGuide123. These numbers were derived in 2007.

• If every household replaced five of their home’s current light bulbs with five compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), each household would save 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop 55.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household turned their water heater down to 130 degrees, each household would save another 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop another 55.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household replaced their current refrigerator with an Energy Star refrigerator, each household would save 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop 122 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household adjusted their thermostats just two degrees from what they are set at regularly, each household would save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop 222 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released.

• If every household recycled paper, plastic and aluminum, each household would save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions! Together, we would save 266 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

• If every household sealed cracks and added insulation to their attics, each household would save 2,650 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Together, we would stop a whopping 294 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from being released!

• If every household fixed or replaced drippy faucets and toilets, each household would save 1.1 million gallons of water! Wow! Together, we would save a massive 122 trillion gallons of water.

These are huge numbers. That’s 1.1 trillion pounds of saved carbon dioxide emissions. For an even more personal perspective, one million gallons of carbon dioxide equals 52,000 gallons of gasoline! For more statistics, or to view the article in its entirety, click here.

When it comes to going green, we all differ on putting into practice what we believe to be necessary for the future of the planet. Some build homes designed to be eco-friendly, some update their current residences to reflect more planet-conscious choices and, increasingly, some decide to live in sustainable communities.

Have you heard of sustainable communities? Also called ecovillages or green communities, sustainable communities are neighborhoods committed to a way of life that’s greener, with less of a footprint on the environment.

Characteristics of sustainable communities: In an effort to cut back on consumption and waste, sustainable communities tend to preserve open land and find more efficient ways of living.<

What’s common to see: encouraged walking/biking, even telecommuting; homes architecturally designed to make use of solar energy and constructed with local materials; eco-friendly appliances and lighting inside homes; organic and natural foliage.

Where you can find one: While sustainable communities aren’t the norm, the trend is a growing one, with neighborhoods popping up all over the world. According to the Global EcoVillage Network Database, in fact, there are 11,000 ecovillages in Sri Lanka alone!

Next best thing: Whether or not a sustainable community is near you, opportunities to live greener are, wherever you live. Take inspiration from the green communities and make sustainable choices in your day-to-day lifestyle. Your neighborhood may or may not feature homes with eco-friendly features, your home can. Whether or not your community encourages walking over driving, you can look for ways to cut back on using your vehicle so much.

Going green starts at home, in small, daily changes done consistently. You replace your lightbulbs with energy-efficient ones. You choose ceiling fans. You become conscious of your water usage.

And here’s another idea, which is just as simple: You try composting.

What is Composting?
Simply put, composting is the process of turning organic trash (anything that was once living, such as food, garden waste, grass clippings, straw) into something usable. Instead of just taking it to the curb on trash day, you’re repurposing it towards dark, crumbly compost, which is perfect for adding to soil, by placing it in a compost bin that turns it into a nutrient-rich soil ideal for gardening!

Why you should do it:

It’s green. Did you know one-third of all trash that goes to landfills could be composted? (cite greenhome.com) Imagine if that trash were instead repurposed through composting! This saves the space in landfills, and it saves the energy involved in trash collection!

It’s a money-saver. By composting, you save money on your garbage bill and on fertilizer!

It’s simple. While some green alternatives are expensive or complicated, composting is not. It’s something anyone can do!

How to get started:
Composting isn’t a difficult process. You’ll need a compost bin of some kind (usually in the neighborhood of $60 to $180) to put in the yard. Then, you just need to begin trashing all organic materials, such as food scraps, in that bin. The bin will use high temperature (ideally around 160 degrees F) to convert all the organic materials. After a few months, compost will come out of the bottom.

Though your tax returns are completed for 2008, you can start racking up tax credits for 2009 now by going green! According to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, and the stimulus bill recently signed by President Obama, homeowners can earn tax credits by making energy-efficient home improvements through 2010, and by adding renewable-energy technologies through 2016!

Examples of green home improvements include adding Energy Star appliances, energy-efficient metal roofing, eco-friendly insulation and energy-saving exterior doors or windows. By doing so, you can receive tax credit for 30 percent of the cost, which is up to $1,500.

Examples of renewable-energy technologies include solar water-heating systems, geothermal heat pumps, photovoltaic electricity and fuel cells. By adding one of these, you can also receive tax credit for 30 percent of the cost, with variable price returns.

For a more detailed description on these future tax credits, read this report from the Chicago Tribune.

For further assistance in turning your home into an eco-friendly, energy-efficient green home, read up on all of Buy Owner’s Green Living information here.

With Thanksgiving a day away, many homeowners across the nation are looking forward to a long weekend filled with good food, football and seeing loved ones. But the holidays are also the time of year where homes can suffer the most damage, from spilled juice or food, tracked mud or dirt or something else. And after many years of such things, your flooring is bound to show what it’s been through.

If you’re like many Americans, the first step you took towards greener living might have been recycling, separating your bottles and pop cans from the rest of your garbage. In fact, these days, it’s altogether common for weekly trash pickups to be separated into regular and recyclables, which include paper, plastic and glass. But did you know that’s not all that’s recyclable?

In fact, there’s one very large item you might be surprised to learn can be turned into reusable materials: carpeting.

According to the site CarpetRecovery.org, there are a number of solutions for fully utilizing your old carpet. And this small step makes a big difference.

Here are the facts: for every 1,000 square feet of diverted carpeting, recycling saves 440 gallons of oil; 10,000,000 BTUs; and 4,500 pounds that would have gone to a landfill.

That’s right: what to you is damaged, stained, maybe wet carpeting is the equivalent of more than two tons of waste. So consider saving it to be recycled!

If you’re interested in ripping out your old carpeting anytime soon, here are some resources worth checking out!

There are so many ways to make your home greener these days. You can install eco-friendly flooring, counters and appliances. You can repurpose old furniture instead of throwing it out to take up more space in a landfill. You can plant a garden that boasts water conservation.

Now even your roof can be green, both literally and figuratively. Green roofs, also known as “vegetated roof covers” and “living roofs,” are literally roofs made of thin layers of plants installed on top of conventional roofs.

There are two types of green roofs, an extensive green roof and an intensive green roof.

Extensive green roofs are the thinner with only two to six inches of a growing medium, less expensive and lighter. They are low maintenance and are generally covered with low growing, horizontally spreading root plants with maximum heights of 16 to 24 inches. Extensive roofs typically cost, on average, about $14-$25.

Intensivegreen roofs look more like a lush natural roof garden with two to four feet of soil. They use a variety of plants and the maintenance is more involved. They are the more colorful and visually stimulating of the two types of green roofing. They can even incorporate features such as fountains.

Each roof contains a waterproofing layer, a drainage layer, a growing medium (like soil, peat and soil) and vegetation of some sort. The plants chosen for the green roof should be tolerant of extreme weather conditions and resistant to bugs and diseases. Succulents, mosses and grasses are typically the best choices and come in a variety of colors.

As with all home improvement projects, there are considerations you’ll need to make before you install a green roof. You need to consider the climate you live in and well as the rainfall patterns of your area. You need to find out the strength and support of your current roof to make sure it can hold up the addition of a green roof. If it’s not structurally sound enough, you’ll have to reinforce it. The size and slope of your roof needs to be considered. Flat roofs are probably best, but green roofs can be installed on sloping roofs too.

What are your personal aesthetic preferences? These will play a part in the design of your green roof, and so will the architectural style of your home. Budget is another consideration to be made, and it’s an important one. Like all projects, research first, then decide on a budget before you get started with any physical work.

Not only do green roofs add visual interest to your home, but they can help reduce those pesky heating and cooling bills that show up like clockwork every month. In the summer, the green roof stays cooler than a traditional roof so less energy is used on air-conditioning. Similarly, in the winter the insulation of the green roof can help cut down those heating costs! Green roofs can also help improve water quality, extend the life of your traditional roof, help get more oxygen into the air!

Green roofs are stylish and unique while simultaneously helping the environment. What could be better?

Summer is a great time for you and your home to go green! The days are longer, the weather’s warmer and it’s fun to enjoy the outdoors. So, this season, what steps can you take to make a positive impact on the world around you?

Try going green with these eco-friendly summer tips!

Raise your temperature.

Changing your thermostat from 72 to 73 degrees is a simple change that will take you less than a minute. Yet its impact is big: you’ll save approximately 40 pounds of CO2 each month. Bonus? A lower A/C bill.

Make the most of windows.

During the day, when the temperature’s warmer, keep windows tightly shut and draw the shades in order to keep your home naturally cooler. At night, if possible, turn off your air-conditioning, and let the cool outdoor air inside.

Install more fans.

Exhaust fans can pull heat and humidity out of your living spaces, and ceiling fans can help reduce your need to crank up the A/C.

Use a clothes line.

Taking advantage of summer sunshine means not needing to use your dryer. This can save you approximately 60 pounds of CO2 each month. Bonus? Air-drying actually helps clothes last longer.

Plug nearby appliances and/or electronics into a power strip; turn it off when not in use.

Plugged-in appliances emit small amounts of heat, even when not in use. A simple flip of the switch on your power strip will help conserve energy.

Avoid the oven.

Summer barbeques aren’t just fun; they are the greener alternative to cooking indoors. If you must cook inside, consider using a toaster oven or the microwave rather than the main oven.

Control your fridge.

Did you know refrigerators can be responsible for as much as 20% of household energy use? Try setting your fridge temp to 37 degrees and your freezer to 3 degrees for maximized use/savings.

Recycle!

Do you pay your bills online? If all Americans did, millions of trees and countless forests could be preserved. Look for ways to trim your trash, making your home greener in the process.

There’s no doubt that outdoor plants add incredible appeal to homes. When choosing plants, you’ll want to look for long-living perennials rather than annuals. Think of it this way: every plant you keep is a plant you don’t have to replace later.

Did you know there a number of ways to make your home a little greener, even in the blah winter months?

Helping the environment helps everyone, from you (lower bills) to the world around you (a better planet).

REEVALUATE YOUR HABITSTake a look at Buy Owner Blog article, “Energy-Saving Tips“ for specific ideas on how you can make important changes, from rethinking your lightbulbs to lowering your thermostat.

ADD SOME PLANTSNo matter where you live, you can practice a green thumb with gardening either indoors or out. Studies show this has all kinds of benefits, from air quality to beauty to fruitfulness.

CHANGE UP YOUR WINDOWSAccording to Greg Pahl of Mother Earth News, “Most people choose new windows based on appearance, style, convenience and price. Energy efficiency might not be a consideration, but this important factor actually should take top priority.”

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